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Druid builds
Though Druids are a hybrid class, the differences between builds of the same specialization tend to be fairly minor because of the great amount of must-have talents embedded inside each tree. The 3 trees are Balance, which improves the druid ranged DPS, Feral, which improve the druids animal forms, and Restoration, which improves the druids healing spells. For the purpose of classification within this article, builds which have less than 41 points in any one talent tree have been classified as hybrid. Otherwise, the ordering within each section is in descending number of points in the primary talent tree. Each build has its advantages and disadvantages, and there is no "best" build within each tree except in cases where you have a firm idea of what you want your Druid to do. For example, a tanking build that puts points into Thick Hide (Druid talent) is clearly superior to a build that dismisses the talent. Despite this, it is ultimately up to the individual decide which talent build is most suitable to their chosen play style. When raiding, opting for a more traditional, non-hybrid raid build is likely to be a necessity as it will allow you to maximize your contribution to the raid, whether your role is DPS, tank, or healer. Balance Its is a common misconception that as druids are a hybrid class they will only be able to approach, but not match, the pure DPS classes. Although in theory a warlock/mage specced/geared correctly will out-DPS a balance druid correctly specced/geared, if any of these factors is lacking in the warlock/mage the balance druid should be able to match if not surpass the pure DPS classes. Blizzard has stated they want Hybrid classes to approach the DPS of pure classes much closer in Wrath of the Lich King. In PvP, balance druids are able to use there moonkin form to absorb large amounts of damage, and with recent talent additions suffer little knockback with many of their abilities. This has made a balance druid (specced correctly) a very exceptional class in PvP. However, due to the inability to use restoration spells in moonkin form the sometimes necessary tactic of dropping form and healing means a large mana cost and can be cumbersome. Although druids in balance spec MAY have less DPS than a mage/warlock, druids in moonkin form have an amour value similar to that of a warrior, giving then a lot more flexibility. Mages/warlocks are highly susceptible to melee damage, and the moonkin forms high armor seriously mitigates this and gives them that little edge in raiding. Level 70 At present, there is still much experimentation and discussion surrounding the "best" balance builds for level 70. This is largely due to there being more talents available which benefit any given situation than points to spend on them. At PvE tier 4 or 5 level, it really should not matter significantly, as most of the heavy balance builds (56 points and above) will provide highly competitive DPS output. At tier 6 level, people are in all likelihood sufficiently experienced and knowledgeable about the class to make intelligent choices between the options. Patch 3.0.3 Maximum Balance (70) (61/0/0) This build is 100% balance talents, particularly taking all of the deepest level talents. It's excellent for evaluating the new abilities, and generally learning about the latest changes to the balance tree. It should be generally usable and competitive in tier 4 and 5 raiding, and similar content, but not perhaps the most efficient at pure DPS. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGbuicoIdIAuRu Patch 3.0.2 PvE DPS Balance (70) (56/0/5) The below build is a supposed build for a balance druid hoping to achieve maximum DPS at level 70: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0EGbuicRIdhV0MhZ0x No typhoon/starfall due to hurricane superiority. No eclipse, only useful in pure DPS race. No added moonkin utility. Patch 3.0.2 PvE Utility Balance (70) (56/0/5) The below build is a supposed build for a balance druid aiming to achieve maximum utility via raid buffs, use of insect swarm and faerie fire: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGbuicsIdIV0RhZ0x Patch 3.0.3 PvE Core Raiding Talents (51/0/0) "This is the basic foundation of a raiding balance spec. Add Treants, A single point in Eclipse, Owlkin Frenzy, etc. as you want. Mana concerns are effectively nonexistent in level 70 content, as HP levels have gone down and raid DPS has gone up so drastically. iFF's +spell hit is typically covered by shadow priests." - Elitist Jerks Theorycrafting Think Tank post on balance (updated 20 Oct 2008). N.B. This spec is incomplete, but contains an excellent starting point for free choice of the last 10 points at 70. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xRbuiIscdhV0Mu Patch 3.0.2 PvP Balance (48/0/13) (70) Under even further debate, a basic PvP build for a moonkin is provided below. Due to changes in feral charge etc, some of the staples of previous PvP builds are missing: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGfuiI0Iz0hdRZZfMch Level 80 There has not yet been much detailed discussion around the "best" balance builds for level 80. These are really just some good examples to consider. In due course, the experts on the usual forums will undoubtedly do some serious theorycrafting to determine the "best" raid build to maximize DPS. Patch 3.0.3 PvE Maximum Balance (80) (71/0/0) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. Please note that this build requires 80 talents, which will soon be available with the release of Wrath Of The Lich King: There's a total of 4 points remaining to spend beyond 71 (not possible at level 80), so there's some scope to pull some points between talents to suite personal style and taste. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0EGruicsIdIAuRu Patch 3.0.2 PvE DPS (80) (55/0/16) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. Please note that this build requires 80 talents, which will soon be available with the release of Wrath Of The Lich King: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGbuicsIdhVhMhZbxcub Patch 3.0.2 PvP Balance (80) (56/0/15) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. Please note that this build requires 80 talents, which will soon be available with the release of Wrath Of The Lich King: http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGbuiI0IzhAzRhZfxcu Patch 3.0.2 PvP/PvE Build (80) (55/0/16) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. An hyrbid build, useful if you need more flexibility in terms of partaking in PvE/PvP. Please note that this build requires 80 talents, which will soon be available with the release of Wrath Of The Lich King: http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0xGrhicoIdhAzRhZbxcub Feral Feral druids specialize in animal forms, namely cat form and bear form. Currently, at 70, it is not considered possible to spec effectively into both feral DPS (Cat form) and feral tank (Dire bear form). This has led to two separate specs, which shows even more come level 80. Feral druids originally tanked by high HP and high armor mitigation, with little in the way of avoidance. Blizzard changed this with patch 3.0, reducing bonus armor and HP drastically from leather items but also increasing our avoidance (dodge) and giving us additional talents to replace the lost armor. The HP of a feral tank can still considerably outpace that of a paladin or warrior. Feral DPS is built upon cat form, the use Mangle to invoke a bleed effect and using Shred from behind. They then build combo points, use Rip, and normally repeat this process using other abilities when gaps in rotation are presented. Now, with talent changes Cat form DPS is considered exceptional and is considered a very viable PvP spec alongside the raid buffs it provides. In PvP feral druids currently suffer from mana issues but have good burst damage and a limited pool of CC to use. Level 70 Patch 3.0.2 PvE Feral Tank (70) (0/52/9) http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGGscrzceRcczho0v Considered the best 70 talent spec, forsaking Omen of Clarity for Berserk which has more situational use at 70. Patch 3.0.2 PvE Feral DPS (70) (0/50/11) http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGMcfrd0eR0huVZ0E0z Omen of clarity provides more DPS than Berserk as it stands right now. Level 80 3.0.3 PvE Feral Tank (80) (0/57/14) This spec does not take Primal Persicion which is a clearly DPS talent, but does take shredding attacks to reduce the cost of lacrate More over this spec skip Natural/Master shapeshifter talents which are better for pvp or dps, and takes Intesity insted for a free extra 10 rage when using enrage. When starting to tank, shift into bear (+10 Rgae), use enrage (+10 instant rage, and +10 rage over time) you have a total of 30 rage generated at the start, not to mention the fact that u get a 10 rage boost on every enrage cooldown, if u are stuck with 0 rage http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGGsfbzceRcczAo0E0u Patch 3.0.2 PvE Feral Tank (80) (0/55/16) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. This spec takes under consideration the major changes in Talents, game mechanics and all the extra armor removed from Leather Armor. According to Blizzard, threat will be generated mostly through damage now. This is reflected in changes to talents. http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGGscrzceocczAo0Eczb Patch 3.0.2 PvE Feral Tank/DPS Build (80) (0/55/16) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. As expertise items have been repeatedly spotted in WotLK gear, this stat may not be as important as it is now. Also, Infected Wounds, though it does slow damage taken also can prevent you from getting enough rage. It also may have little to no effect on future end-game bosses, so a spec resembling the following would perhaps be plausible for both tanking and DPS. The point in Imp. LotP can be moved to Survival Instincts if preferred. http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGGcfbzcekc0uAo0Eczb Patch 3.0.2 PvE Feral DPS (80) (0/55/16) :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZEM0sfrzbeR0huAo0Eczb Restoration The restoration tree empowers the druid's heal over time spells (HOTS) and their other generic healing spells. Generally thought of as a AoE damage healer or support healer, they are fully capable of main healing a tank in most scenarios. With 3.0 blizzard gave tree form the ability to use healing touch and other large cast time/amount healed spells, further allowing them to heal large quantities quickly. In PvP resto hyrbrids were considered one of the most dominant classes in arena due to a combination of HOTS, good CC, mobility and good mana regen. In PvE resto druids have a variety of tools for efficiently and sustainably healing a large number of targets over time and buffering tanks against spike damage. Druids as healers are most able to remain mobile while healing. They also have unmatched panic buttons with the powerful nature's swiftness + healing touch combo, swiftmend and tranquility. PvE druids can choose to specialise in HoTs for steady, sustained healing over multiple targets, in nukes for powerful single target healing, or in a combination of both for jack-of all trades ability. Level 70 Patch 3.0.2 PvE Resto (70) (8/0/53) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0VhZZf0IubuxVuVhst Moonglow Patch 3.0.2 PvE Resto (70) (0/0/61) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZZfVhuVuxiuVust (All in) Patch 3.0.2 PvP Resto (70) (0/8/53) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZV0hZcEcubuxbzAIsz - With Feral Aggression and Thick Hide. Since 3.0.2 resto druids can both survive and heal in treeform. However it's impossible to kill anybody in treeform, and normal caster form is too vulnerable for pvp. This build improves your bearform so you can actually fight a duel and be less dependent on your teammates. Tip: Combine it with the Glyph of Healing Touch. Patch 3.0.3 PvP Resto (70) (4/0/57) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0mZZfVcubuxizAhst This build can also be used for dungeons and raids. Level 80 :Until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is actually released, all talent info is subject to change, especially over level 70. Patch 3.0.3 PvE Resto (80) (11/0/60) Very flexible build that uses balance talents to emulate certain restoration talents to open up the Nature's Splendor talent to allow more flexibility in healing rotations, while saving talent points. Nature's Majesty replaces Natural Perfection to save one talent point with a very close effect, and Moonglow replaces Tranquil Spirit to save 2 talent points and only the Nourish skill is excluded from the reduced mana cost. Naturalist is replaced by Genesis to give more power to HoTs, but Empowered Touch still remains to make for a very powerful Nature's Swiftness->Healing Touch combination. You gain from this the additional Nature's Splendor talent, adding a tick or two to some of the best restoration HoTs, leaving you able to cast an additional spell or heal an additional target per rotation. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0VG0zZZf0IubugiuVIst Patch 3.0.2 PvE Resto (80) (9/0/62) Versatile jack of all trades spec for use of HoTs and nukes in rotation. http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=0VuZZfVhuVugiuVhst Patch 3.0.2 PvE Resto (80) (28/0/43) Druid nuke healer build- trades traditional HoT specialization and AE healing for superior mana efficiency and exceptional burst healing with nuke heals and regrowth. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0VGcuzIohZZfVzuVuxizhh Patch 3.0.2 PvE Resto (80) (14/0/57) Power HoT build, sacrifices nuke healing for high power and efficiency of HoTs. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0VG0uZZfccubutVuVIst Patch 3.0.2 PvP Resto (80) (0/8/63) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZV0hZcEcubuxizAIst Restokin Builds The concept of the restokin is to split your points between balance and restoration talents but making sure you spec deep enough into balance to acquire Moonkin. This build offers flexibility and is not uncommon to see in PvP and leveling as the combination of effective dps and healing is valuable in those situations. There are many variations to this build and the builds below shouldn't be considered the only restokin builds. Level 70 Spirit Stacker (70) (35/0/26) http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xG0uicoIzhZZf0Iubux Level 80 Spirit Stacker (80) (35+/0+/35+) The highlights of this build are mana regeneration and talent synergy between Improved Moonkin and Living Spirit. Dreamstate + Intensity will up your combat mana regeneration while Improved Moonkin and Living Spirit will both up your spell power and up your total spirit (thus upping your mana regeneration). http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xG0uicoIzhZZf0IubuxVu Spirit Stacker II (37/0/34) This build trades Moonglow and Swiftmend in for Genesis. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0EM0uicoIzhZZf0IubuxVh Pre-3.0 Builds Pre-3.0 druid builds External Links * http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=304172583 - "Informative and useful Druid threads" - sticky thread on the EU Blizz class forum, listing most of the useful threads. * http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2215646573 - "Balance One-Stop Shop", Efejel's excellent post on equipment, stats, talents, etc. Currently out of date, but still contains many useful pieces of information. * http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=10972109683 - "What 3.0 Means for (PvE) Moonkin", Efejel's thread on Moonkin 3.0. * * Category:Druids Druid builds Category:Guides Category:Talents